Slightly behind with putting out this post, but just getting back into my stride following being in Japan where we walked the Nakehechi route of the Kumano Kodo.
While approaching 11000kms of distance from Santiago de Compestela, the Kumano Kodo is the 'twinned' pilgrimage route to the
Camino de Santiago, and for those who can show that they have walked both, there awaits the 'dual pilgrim' certificate, and when time allows I plan to write about our walk, which will be a different post.
For today, this is about the stamps that are 'collected' along the way while walking the Kumano Kodo. In significant contrast to the Camino in Spain, in Japan the stamps are applied at specific points all along the way. The stamps are 'housed' in especially built 'huts' (see image) and the pilgrim opens the little hatch-way, takes out the stamp and the ink pad and applies the stamp to the credencial. There is no possibility of cheating - the stamps can only be applied while on the route, and access is only by foot.
Finding the little 'huts' can be a challenge, as some are quite well hidden, but slowly over the course of the walk the credencial becomes filled with the inked impression of each of the distinct stamps. They are large and bold with no two stamps being the same, and each image being related and pertinent to the place.
Hopefully the attached will give an idea of the beauty of some of the stamps.
Bon Camino - or perhaps Bon Kumano !
